The daze of Christmas /  by Mario Mirabile

After the mad pre-Christmas rush and the pleasant excess of Christmas Day, the period between Christmas Day and new year is a time to let the year unwind gently. OK, you may be unfairly burdened by having to work, or foolishly caught up in the post-Christmas sales mania, but there are rewards for those wise enough to take it easy.

A pleasant brunch at Rickett's Point followed by a walk and spot of bird watching is a good start. If you have the time and inclination to drop a line in the bay, you'll find it quite relaxing as you're unlikely to be burdened by the tedium of having to clean any fish. After all, it's called "fishing" and not "catching" for a reason.

By the time new year's eve rolls round, you'll have recharged the batteries and, with luck, stay awake past 10:00 PM.

Have a great New Year.

One for the pugilists /  by Mario Mirabile

Cricket is a curious game in which a match lasting five days may not produce a winner. It is a summer staple in Australia, and one of the great events on Melbourne's sporting calendar is the Boxing Day cricket test. On a day where people really people should be recovering from their Christmas feasts, tens of thousands routinely make the pilgrimage to the MCG to sit in the sun, consume copious quantities of amber fluid and cheer on their national heroes. When the adversary is the old enemy England, the numbers swell dramatically.

England had soundly beaten Australia in recent confrontations and seemed to have a solid grip on The Ashes (surely the most curious major sporting trophy in the world). They arrived in Australia expecting to continue the victory march, but by the time of the Melbourne test had already lost the first three matches of the five test series, and with them, The Ashes.

Despite the result of this match being irrelevant to the outcome of the series, a world record 91,000 people attended the first day. These images are from day two, attended by a mere 78,000. Over the four day course of the match, which Australia won to go 4-0 up, nearly 300,000 people marched through the gates. Just another average week for the Melbourne sporting fanatic.

The mad rush (or the city on Christmas Eve....) /  by Mario Mirabile

Christmas Eve in the city is a mix of furious last minute shopping, end of year celebratory wining and dining and school children let loose on summer break.

The retail store employees are a bit confused, caught between serving customers intent on finding appropriate stocking stuffers and preparing for the crazy onslaught of the post-Christmas sales. The Myer Christmas window display continues to attract large crowds with a queue more than 100 meters long patiently waiting their turn to get a close look at this year's spectacular: "Gingerbread Friends", a tableau loosely based on the tale of the gingerbread man. Dazed shoppers for whom the whole experience has become too much stare blankly into the street awaiting the excitement of the Boxing Day cricket test to snap them back to reality. Santa's elves, their toymaking tasks completed for another year, frolic outside his house in the warm sunshine before returning to the North Pole, and even one of his reindeer escapes to wander among the crowds.

Once your own personal rush abates, I wish you all the best for a happy and peaceful Christmas and a wonderful new year.

It's moments like these... /  by Mario Mirabile

Our friend Anne had been reminding me for months that I had been negligent in fulfilling my duties as official photographer to Minty, their two year old Japanese Spitz. I finally agreed to do a portrait session once my hip had recovered sufficiently and as we were invited to dinner on Friday, I thought it might be a good opportunity. The light was OK if a bit dull and Anne had recently mowed my studio (a very pleasant lawn area edged with a low box hedge and agapanthus in flower), so it looked like we might have a good session.

Minty, like many small dogs, is a very social and excitable creature and after our arrival it was a while before she settled sufficiently for our session to begin. Action shots were difficult as the light was fading and she was still quite active, but she managed to keep still long enough for me to get some good portrait shots.

For those of you not steeped in Australian culture and wonder what the title of this post is all about, see here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minties .

A backyard tragedy /  by Mario Mirabile

When I got home, Trish told me a fledgling wattle bird had fallen out of it's nest in one of our trees. It sat around squawking for attention as I got a few shots off. I was trying not to get too close, but it seemed completely unconcerned by my presence. It appeared healthy, and was able to fly short distances without getting too far off the ground, but certainty unable to fly back to its nest. 

Watching from a distance, the parents (assuming it was them)  were in a nearby tree, calling but not coming down. I offered it a couple of worms from the compost on the end of a stick, but it wasn't interested. Clearly a well bought up child, knowing not to accept treats from strangers. Eventually it flapped off behind the shed, and we flapped off to our dinner, hoping all would be well.

I had a quick look around the next morning before leaving for work, but saw no trace of it. Trish called later to say she'd found it dead near the shed. I hope our interest didn't scare off the parents, but I guess it's the usual fate of chicks in similar circumstances, either in the wild or in the back yard.

Friday 13th - not a horror story /  by Mario Mirabile

One of the good things about working in the Melbourne CBD is that there's an endless supply of photographic opportunities. It can be hit and miss as to whether I come up with something interesting and much depend on the light, my mood and just how well I'm reacting to the passing parade. 

I took to the streets on Friday 13th looking for inspiration for the first two club competitions of 2014 - "Alleys and Laneways" and "River Transport". I expect alleys to be swamped with street art, so I'm steering clear of that. River transport is a bit of a dry subject, so I'm looking for different angles. And, lets not forget that Christmas is coming. Have you been good?

Last of the birthday blues /  by Mario Mirabile

My last few shots from the Elwood Blues Club birthday bash on December 8th. Christine Manetta sang a hot set which even featured a Doors number. 

Din 'n' Dodd /  by Mario Mirabile

Dan Dinnen and Greg Dodd were the headline act for the Elwood Blues Club's first birthday bash at the Greyhound Hotel. Both are animated performers (Greg on guitar and vocals, Dan on guitar, harmonica and vocals) and they played a powerful mix of standards and original compositions to an appreciative audience. All they missed was "Happy Birthday"!

Adrian (or don't shoot me, I'm only the piano player...) /  by Mario Mirabile

Adrian Reeves is a regular keyboard/vocals performer at the Elwood Blues club. He plays with serious intensity and lots of flourishes, but will occasionally break into a wide, twinkle eyed grin which betrays how much fun he's really having. An entertaining and fun to watch performer.

Salty blues /  by Mario Mirabile

Salty runs the Elwood Blues Club. It's not strictly a club (it's a weekly event at a pub) and it's not in Elwood (it's in the neighbouring suburb of St. Kilda), but you've all seen the Blues Brothers, so you can guess where he got the name. Salty not only organizes the night, but is also a regular performer on vocals and harmonica.

It's a free event with a different headline act each week. It's on every Sunday from 5:00PM at the Greyhound Hotel in St. Kilda, and was the club's first birthday in the current venue. Well worth attending if you're free. You can find more information at www.salty.com.au.

Anyone for coffee? /  by Mario Mirabile

Central Melbourne was originally laid out of a regular grid of broad streets north of the Yarra River. The major public buildings, businesses and grand residences filled the main streets, while the smaller and seedier businesses and factories occupied the smaller east-west streets. These had names often prefixed with a "Little", the balance of the name matching that of it's neighboring major thoroughfare. A further step down in prestige was the maze of laneways and alleys which ran between streets major and minor, and behind buildings, offering places to dump rubbish and the occasional body.

Today, the lanes and alleys have become Melbourne institutions and something of a tourist drawcard. Tour guides are available to lead you through the maze of byways which are frequently adorned with elaborate street art. Others have sprouted cafes like mushrooms in spring, often appearing in he most confined and unlikely places. If you like coffee, come to Melbourne. You won't be able to walk 10 paces without finding yet another spot to satisfy your caffeine craving.

Wet, wet, wet /  by Mario Mirabile

There's a spot at Southbank which produces brilliant reflections just after rain. There's something about the short strip of pavement on the south side of the river just west of Princes Bridge. It doesn't take long for the water to dissipate and the reflections to fade when the rain stops, but if you get the timing right any you're lucky with the light, it can be quite spectacular. There's also good shelter under the bridge and around the Arts Centre, so you don't have to suffer too much for your art by getting soaked.

Well, today the timing was good for an after work shoot, but unfortunately the light wasn't great and the sky fairly leaden. As it was the commuting hour, I concentrated on cyclists of which there were plenty. There was also a lot of rowers hitting the river from the boat sheds, so I played around there for a while as well.  I'm not sure the direct overhead perspective of the rowers from the bridge provides the best image, but I only had a wide zoom with me so it was the best I could do.  It was also quite windy so the river was chopped up - I must get back and try it again on a still day with a longer lens.